Landlord Threatens to Eject National Library Over N508m Debt

The National Library of Nigeria, NLN, risks being evicted from the building it is temporarily using as its corporate headquarters at the Central Business District in Abuja over the sum of about N508m it is owing the landlord.

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Prof. Lanre Aina, when members of Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, led by its chairman, Aliyu Wamakko, visited the NLN for an oversight function.

Aina, who is also the National Librarian, further stated that the completion of the NLN new headquarters, which has been estimated to be about N38bn, has been stalled due to paucity of funds. He therefore pleaded with the government to make funds available to the library for its operations.

“The National Library currently owes N508 million. Three years’ rent is yet to be paid on our temporary corporate headquarters and the landlord has threatened to eject us.

“The present state of the building is deplorable, with leaking roof, cracked walls, malfunctioning toilets and broken water pipes,” he said.

In his response, Wamakko promised that the Senate would address all the issues raised by the agency.